So everyone can be a hero.
Accessibility professionals exist but accessibility is not one person alone, it is all of us. This list focuses not on wider issues of inclusion and representation, but the list items focus on ensuring that websites, game books, supplements, and adventures are made accessible to the widest variety of people, with the highest chances of compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers, and more.
Use these resources as a way to get started!
There is also a great resource discussing accessibility and inclusion specifically with regard to tabletop with other links – also about safety tools – on the D&D Compendium. Do not view the Compendium as competing: we’re all in this together.
Highly recommended: check out Jennifer Kretchmer’s Accessibility in Gaming Resources as well. (Support her if you can!)
Do you have a website? (Website accessibility)
- “The Curb Cut Effect: How universal design makes things better for everyone” essay by Emma Sheridan.
- WCAG 2.2 Working Draft from the World Wide Web Consortium: WCAG are the industry standard guidelines informing web accessibility.
- Overlay Fact Sheet: and why overlays, plugins, and “quick fix” promises of “being compliant / accessible with one line of code” does more harm than good.
- Worried about time and expense? There are simple tests that can get you started on accessibility that anyone can do. TetraLogical has a playlist of short videos with transcripts on how you can get started with checking for common issues.
Do you make games, supplements, settings, do layout, etc? (Document accessibility)
Manuscripts and More (Text, PDFs, InDesign, etc)
- Creating accessible documents within Microsoft Word via Microsoft Help Topics
- Video training on creating accessible documents, emails, and more within Microsoft Office (Microsoft)
- PDF Accessibility: Defining PDF Accessibility and Techniques by WebAIM
- Accessible PDF Tutorials by Michigan State University
- InDesign accessibility tips via Adobe
- InDesign Accessibility Quick Reference via Deque Systems
- Top Tips for Accessibility for EPUB format via Benetech/DIAGRAM Center
- Kerning: An Introduction for Designers by Adobe
- Virtual Readability Lab
Safety Tools and Self-Care
Implementing in Content
- Annemieke’s (Small) List of Trigger Warnings You Can Use
- Sly Flourish (of “the Lazy DM” fame)’s video on X-Card, Lines and Veils, and Script Change safety tools (YouTube)
- X-Card tool document by John Stavropoulos
- Script Change by Beau Jagr Sheldon (Thoughty Games has a Ko-fi link!)
Resources on Diversity and Inclusion
- I Need Diverse Games (nonprofit about representation and diversity in gaming)
- Take This (nonprofit about mental health in and around gaming)
- Resources about Mental Health and Suicide Prevention via Jasper’s Game Day
- The Bodhana Group (nonprofit advocating use of tabletop gaming as part of directed professional therapy; also does the Save Against Fear convention)
- AbleGamers – combating social isolation through play (nonprofit about disability inclusion and accessibility in gaming)
Stuck? Want a Professional?
Developers, designers, writers – everyone can play a part in improving accessibility. However, if this seems too overwhelming, you wish to devise more of a strategy for repeated titles, or it is beyond remediation and you want to make sure to get advanced tools (testing with screen reader compatibility, doing more extensive checks), please use the contact form or contact me via email.
